The present invention relates to a spring-driven pusher for use in a merchandise dispenser to automatically feed merchandise to a dispensing end of the dispenser. The present invention also relates to a merchandise dispenser utilizing the pusher assembly and to a method of dispensing merchandise.
An example of a merchandise dispenser having a spring-driven pusher is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,089 B1 issued to Rankin, VI and assigned to Vulcan Spring & Manufacturing Company, the assignee of the present application. Other examples of merchandisers are provided by U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,162 issued to Suttles; U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,564 issued to Spamer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,936 issued to Crum; U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,217 issued to Salveson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,895 issued to Springs; U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,563 issued to Yablans; U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,186 issued to Yablans et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,536 issued to Cohen; U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,439 issued to Taylor; U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,481 issued to Hawkinson et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,304 issued to Heinen et al. and by UK Patent Application No. GB 2297241A.
Such dispensers are typically utilized in retail stores, outlet stores and the like to store and display products and to permit products to be removed therefrom. The dispensers are typically provided with a forward feeding pusher so that a stacked row of identical products located in front of the pusher is biased toward the front dispensing end of the dispenser. Thus, when one of the products from the front end is removed, the products remaining in the row are pushed forward. Such a pusher typically projects from a track located below the products. However, it can also depend from a track located above the products or extend laterally from a track extending adjacent the sides of the products. Yet another alternative is for the pusher to extend from a substantially vertical track and be utilized to up-feed or down-feed a stacked column of products.
Various hand-held electronic devices can be used to track inventory, set pricing information, or perform other functions with respect to merchandise stored in dispensers. For example, such a device may utilize radio frequency energy, signals or the like to read and/or write to electronic identification tags on the products or at the front of a display. Metal articles, such as metal springs in the dispensers, can interfere with the proper functioning of such devices.
Thus, although the above referenced merchandiser assemblies may be satisfactory for their intended purposes, there is a need for a spring-driven pusher device and dispenser that eliminates any possible interference with radio frequency and like signals. Preferably, the pusher should permit ready adjustment of the pushing force so that the same pusher device and spring can be utilized regardless of the shape, weight, surface texture, or size of the stored and displayed product. Further, the pushing force should be capable of precise and fine adjustment so that the pusher can be set to provide a proper amount of pushing force specifically required for the selected product. In addition, the pusher assembly and dispenser should be inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and operate, and require only a minimum of effort and skill to adjust.